At The Beginning
by Ellasphere
Summary: Ben and Abigail reflect on their feelings, how it all started and where life is taking them. Set after NT2.


**AN: My second National Treasure fanfic and my first song fic. I hope to update '****Remembering' soon as I realise that it has not been updated in over a year. I love this couple and this song fits them so perfectly! Inspired by this video: ****.com/watch?v=Y_GdjEQONuU&feature=related**

**Disclaimer: I do not own National Treasure or the song which is At ****the Beginning by Richard Marx and Donna Lewis and featured in the film Anastasia. **

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_We were strangers starting out on our journey  
Never dreaming what we'd have to go through  
Now here we are and I'm suddenly standing  
At the beginning with you___

As Abigail lay curled up in bed with the early morning sun filtering through the closed curtains, she couldn't help but admire the man in front of her. His ruffled brown hair, rugged features, and clear blue eyes that betrayed all his emotions made him in her opinion a rather handsome man. And it wasn't just looks that made Ben Gate appeal to her. He had the personality to match. Both shared the same love for history and justice and they often argued over historical conspiracies and facts. In fact it was this love of history that had caused her to fall for him in the first place when he dragged her into the Templar Treasure hunt.

Even now, a year after finding Cibola, she could still remember ever touch and look that passed between them from a simple hand on the shoulder to that sweet first kiss. Dragging herself back to the present, Abigail couldn't stop herself from leaning down and pressing a soft but lingering kiss to those wonderfully enticing lips.

_No one told me I was going to find you  
Unexpected what you did to my heart  
When I lost hope you were there to remind me  
This is the start_

Upon feeling her touch a bleary eyed Ben managed to open his tired eyelids and give her a small smile. It was unusual for her to be up before him, as he often awoke in the small hours of the morning just so he could watch her sleep. He loved the way she looked so at peace with the world and would spend hours just playing with the golden strands of her hair, wrapping the curls around his finger. Some days he had to pinch himself just make sure that he wasn't dreaming and that the beautiful woman beside him wasn't a figment of his imagination. Ben had never expected to find love in his life. Treasure had occupied his mind twenty-four-seven, seven days a week and didn't leave him much time for other pursuits. But then again, it was the treasure that had brought them together in the beginning.

He could still remember with perfect clarity their meeting at the National Archives when she had dismissed their claims that the Declaration of Independence was under threat, and later at the Gala where she had tried to stop him from stealing the precious document. Throughout the hunt their secret looks and smiles renewed his hope and belief leading to the eventual discovery of the treasure. When he first set his eyes on the riches he felt a rush of joy and excitement but yet he still felt as if there was a void in his soul that hadn't been filled. Now as he lay there in bed staring into those sapphire blue eyes, he realized that the treasure he had been hunting for wasn't made up historical artifacts or gold but took the form of a gorgeous young woman who happened to love him as much as he loved her.

_And Life is a road and I want to keep going  
Love is a river I want to keep flowing  
Life is a road now and forever  
A Wonderful journey_

"I love you," Ben whispered, barely audible before returning Abigail's earlier gesture and kissing her, this time on the tip of her nose. "I've been searching my whole life for treasure and I've finally found it. I never want this – us - to come to an end. My life is perfect right now with you, Riley, and my parents. I want my life to go in this direction. I love the road that I'm travelling on. It's taking me to places I never even dreamed of before I met you. It's a wonderful journey."

_I'll be there when the world stops turning  
I'll be there when the storm is through  
In the end I wanna be standing  
At the beginning with you_

At his heartfelt words, a single tear leaked from Abigail's cerulean orbs as if the blue skies themselves were raining. Ben silently brushed it away. reveling in the feel of her soft silky skin under his rough, calloused hands. "I love you too Ben. I am never happier than when I am with you. I'm not going anywhere," she reassured, a tender smile gracing her delicate features. "I'll always be here for you.

"Even if the world stops turning or a sudden storm takes hold?" Ben replied jokingly.

"I'll still be here," Abigail answered whilst laughing softly. "After all, where else is safer than with the man who rescued me from my dreary life and dragged me into a world of adventure?"

_We were strangers on a crazy adventure  
Never dreaming how our dreams would come true  
Now here we stand unafraid of the future  
At the beginning with you_

At her words both were reminded of their two successful treasure hunts. Two complete strangers thrown together by fate and a shared passion for doing what they considered to be right, which in the end turned out to be the same. When 'Paul Brown' walked into the Director of Conservation's office, neither of them had dreamed that they would find friendship and the thought of love never even crossed their minds. It was a cliché but it was also a dream come true. The future was still uncertain but the couple didn't care. All that mattered was here and now.

_I knew there was somebody somewhere  
Like me alone in the dark  
I know that my dream will live on  
I've been waiting so long  
Nothing's gonna tear us apart_

Of course it hadn't always been smooth sailing. The mere thought of their brief separation caused Abigail's heart to clench with pain. With their bodies pressed so close together it was impossible for Ben to miss the increase in her heart beat. Tilting her head up Ben could clearly see pain and worry etched on her face. "What's wrong Abby?"

"I was just remembering the time when we broke up," " she said dejectedly, staring into his eyes. "I missed you so much. I used to wear your tops to bed because I…missed your scent. I would break down and cry every time I saw something that reminded me of you. I tried dating other men but they just made me realize how much I wanted you. Promise me that this dream will live on, Ben. I don't think I could handle another break up."

Surprised about the sudden outburst of emotion it took Ben several seconds to process what she had said and make a coherent answer. "I like you was alone in the dark, Abby. But you know what got me through the days?"

When Abigail made no move to answer, Ben carried on. "Memories. I would look back on the happy times when we were together. I'd been waiting so long for you that I promised myself that should ever the chance arrive, I would sort out that whole, complicated mess. I too want this dream to live on and I promise you that nothing is ever going to tear us apart." Finished speaking, Ben closed the short gap between them and initiated a passionate kiss, through which they both communicated their love.

_In the end I wanna be standing at the beginning with you _


End file.
